Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-02-12
rCOpyrighted 1SS7.1

TWAS very tiresome riding on the cars all day,
with the same Iaonotonous stretch OF prairie to be
seen from the w1Ddow; so am sure IL was pardon
able In me TO listen TO the conversation OF my fe-
low passengers.
Just behind me they had reversed the car seat
and were riding backwards) sat two elderly
women. old friends, IL seemed, who had CHANGED
TO meet in their journeyfng; and 1t was sentence
or two Of their talk that caught my attention, and
presently became so interested tina. / no longer
felt my WEAKNESS.
"And So said one, '.you say they are Twin all
alone IN that big house Of their'n. I knowed the
girls was all married an gone but heerd jim had
TUX a wife home TO live with the old folks, and
mortal woman TO liv9 win Mary Ann Curtis on
!ess shes nightly changed sence use ter kno"
well, said the other voice. and q sweet,
Understanding voice it was-So sweet. indeed
that / glanced around TO look ut its owner. She
was a little, quaint old woman with soft brown
eyes and pathetic. lOvable face. l fell in love
with her at once. Her companion was n younger
woman, with Shrewd black, observing eyes and
sharp nose and chin. From appearances and
manner i judged both were wives OF weH-to-Go
- ..Weil.- said the sweet voice, slim did marry
mortal woman, but Mary Ann soon made angel
out of her knowed Jim Curtis wife as well asif
shed ben my own Child. and no wonder SEEM as
she boarded with me and jonathan nigh on TO q
year. You see she was left an orphan, and her
uncle that raised her not bein wei OF, give her
what schoolin he could, and then when she was
about sixteen year old he got her first the summer
school in our deestric, and then as she suited the
folks. the directors they let her have it fur the
winter. was sort o. feared for her to tackle the
winter school. seem as some OF the big boys, and
girls, too, for that matter, 3 prtty obsreper0uS
but Rhody she laughed and tossed her head an
said sIll get along, Aunt -Nancyr you know
everybody in the netghbOrhOod calls me Aunt
Nancy, and RhOdy she picked IL up as Datral as
could be-
..Well. she did manage somehow. an never had
bit of trouble. An use ter watch O. eyenin'S for
her TO come, alluS SInilin' and with S0metnn fun
nv TO tell about the scholars. / declare TO You,
Mis- Johnson, If she'd ben our own. Jonathan an
me couldn't a Sot more by her. Why, whenever it
was rainy snowy the ole man would saddle u
horse an go for her. an she'd look that cute SET
tin benin on ole Molly an holdin' on to the ole
man!
zone cold evcnin' Ut was a Friday evenln', I'll
never fGrgft t, Jlsf a. Jonathan got the saddle on
the mare, we heard Seigh-beiiS. for was out at
the fence talkin' 10 the ole man. an who should
come siin up the road, large as life, but Jim Cur
rosy. beside him. There, ole man. says /, your
cakes dough- An / declare fur IL q he Wagnt
that cut up he could scarce be civil TO the young
sterS.
.'Of course you know how it was after that-no
needceSsity for the ole man b0therin' any more;
lot at IL was bother, for he alluS liked gCin' fer
RhoGy; but laws. Jim was aliOS on hand. no mat
ter how the weather was. an he TUX her to her
uncleS two or three times and TO meetins SUNDAYS,
an up an tole her one day that blieved I'd ask
Jim TO board with US, an her face got mighty red
an She stepped up an put both arms roun' my
meek, she was such lovtn' leetle crtter, an she
says, You amt mad Aunt Nancy. are you? You
like jim, don't your
'Weu, says L. II OOn SOtneDoGy else Goes,
but I'd ike to know what this deesrics goin to do
FUR a teacher
"Oh.' She says blushin' more an ever, 4 am
yOfn' TO teach my school OUT
:. An then what?' says i.
Then III tell YOU she says, and run of
$50 says 10 the ole man that night after we'd
gone 20 bed. says /. Jonathan. RhOdy is goin' to
marry Jim curtis, an dunno whether to be glad
or sorry
IAN he laughed till the bed shuk. an says he.
why, what on 'arth is Their TO be sOrry 'bonte'
says he; ther amt Hkelier feiier N the neighbOr-
hood Than Jim, an as for Rhody, pshaw, she's
good enough an purity nOGgh for anybody
on saws l. faint that.-they're both well
'nough; but hows our little girl goin' to git along
with Mis- Curtis:'
Yes" interrupted Mrs. Johnson, appreeiatively,
shat was question. What did you let 'eIn 20
there To live fore That's what want to know,
Nancy Riley"
well" sighed Aunt Nancy 81 did try 70 pre-
vent it, talked 70 RnOdy, but she thought she
could surely git along with Jim's mother-said she
loved her already, poor thing. Then TUX Jim to
task an he said the ole folks weren't willin' fur
him TO leave EN-, his father was gittin' old an
there were lots o. rooms in the house. an his
mother was glad be was goin' to marry an bring
hs vile there, she was so lonesome now all her
girls was gone, an 4 heap more SIGH stuff"
Lonesome, indeed., snapped Mrs. johnson.
sShe was glad 10 git rid OF her girls, so she was!
LAWS! don't mind what times them poor girls had
70 git decent clothes? She list grudged EN- eyery-
thing, an KEEP workin' hEe2I was goin, to saw
darkeys, but no darkey ever worked like old Mis-
Curtis made her girls. No wonder they I'D an TUX
the first felier at came along an asked EN-. Butt
-
knOwed Mis- Curtis so well. The idea of her a-bein'
lonesonei She wanted somebody TO help with the
,, she dd, Her own girls got away soon as
they could That jim must IA been a foolr
.'Oh. no, he wasn't, went on the soft voice. ats
mighty little a young felier Ike him knows about
houSeWork- am his mothers work never bothered
him. so as soon as RhOdy'S school was out in the
spr1ng they was married You see her uncle
thought for pore girl she was dom purity we'll
an i low she was ef she had been les marvin,
Jim Curtis, but she warnt-she was tyin' OF her.
Sell TO his mother"
Nor foOi Him. rlo1N NJ
NOW. Mis- Johnson said Aunt Nancy, ".Jin
meant well. an he wOrshiped the verv gro,Ind
didn't believe In young folks maxim siInpetons OF
themselves, and When she see jim slip his arm
'roun Rhody, or her ru8 her hand through his
curly hair, she'd snap out somet hing sort O hate
Tul. 80 Rh0dy she got afraid OF her. and there's
where The trouble begun in my pin1Jn, fur il my
pore child lad let jim see now she was
imposed on. he certinglyd have made change
DuI 10 Keep peace she JiSJ made believe She was
happy nough- I use ter go over sometimes,
though knowed Mis- Curtis set DO store by NV
comm. out Rnody was allUS that glad. and tell
you IL rlied me 10 see how she WAS treated. 1t
Wa, 'Rhody. bring the milk out OF the suller:'
slshO1y. fetch some wood sRhOdy set the table,
un wondered She didn't drop
lone awful not day WAS there an Rhody she
was maxim pies: she was master hand at coo.
In; youl low that. Mis- Johnson"
.On, yes, snapped Mrs Johnson, MARY Ann
TO-" '-''-'7 '-'' p'' N'i A'iiu
aAsIwas sayin',= went on Aunt Nancy rneeEIv
hfoof was lfonin', and Sich Il pile OF ciotheSt-
white wfhder curtains starched Ike boards an,
taoieclOthS, let alone shirts and other things an
was tElnhin how pale she was an peakeC-iOokin,
when Mis- Curtis calls out, sRhOdy the fires COin'
GOWN wonder II you 'Spect 10 iron with cold
ironS b you DO you Kin quit, for don't have
my irOnin done tilat way. II some folks does
-hnOdy never said a word. but list went 10 the
"oourplle Tor more wood, an / SAYS 10 Mis- Curtis
says i. III was you, I'D hey some OF the men-iolks
orlng In the wood RhOdy don't look we'll
"1ou oughter seen her look at me: her ewes
IaAriy scared me- our men folks saws She 3
tlsed enough when they come In thour hayin'
wonenS work TO do. Fl they was shif,ess as some
Knows, that's all they'd BE- fir FUR
Il tel you, that sort o Tiled me- went on the
kculic Voice, "Out khody Came in with a biz arin-
Iu on wood 50 didn't say anything"
As you would have said anything Won good
sou, said Mrs. Johnson e''N
"You dOnt know me- sajd Amt Narcv ssro,.
tnan says 1 am right smart when cre, riied~
sa;ars-s him. and a mellow laugh r!CpIei over her
thin lips, which sounded 50 sweet that more than
one passenger turned 10 see the lauehar Nrs
johnson Joined IN the merTi!ncnt and I spoiJe6
tOo-lhe Idea or that Voice Seolt!iuy was So d h.,
suru- And now II went on again:
Il thought III say something 10 lin ahopt
Rhody, Tor iet Uneasy about her. an, SO when he
was heipip me on my horse In the eyenin' 02hody
eouuH come 10 the fence cause Mis- Curt Gated
her back when she started says TO him 1Iifo
says l, 'Rhody looks mighty bad: I'm feerat, she's
doln 100 much this hot weather. You see In was
september, an YOU know what trim weather We
sometimes nave III September.
Nh, she all right SAYS jim.
'..No, She amt SAYS l.
jim laughed and his face redeemed m and
saysI /: up dH0